Sewing machine



Jan. 19, 1932. c. s. THOMPSON SEWING MACHINE 6 sheets-sheet 1 Fil ed April 26, 1929 m M M.

Jan. 19, 1932. c. s. THOMPSON 1,841,993

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SEWING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 19, 19732;" c. s. THOMPSON 1,841,993

- SEWING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jam 19,1932. c. s. THOMPSON "1,841,993

SEWING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 19, 1932.

c. s. THOMPSON SEWING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Qwumatoz Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES S. THOMPSON, OZE ELMHURST, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'i'O UNION CHINE. COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

SPECIAL MA- A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS snw me MACHINE Application filed April 26,

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in sewing machines, and more particularly to a sewing machine which is especially adapted for stitching large pieces of fabric.

An object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine having a supporting base and overhanging arm on which base is detachably mounted beneath the free end of the overhanging arm, a sewing machine bed having an operating shaft, a looper mechanism and a feeding mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character wherein the main actuating shaft is carried by the supporting base and is in alignment with the operating shaft and attached thereto by a universal connection.

A. further object of the invention. is to provide a machine of the above type wherein the actuating lever for the needle bar extends longitudinally of the overhanging arm and is actuated by a shaft extending longitudinally of the overhanging arm and connected thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type having a puller feed associated with the mam feed wherein the puller feed is operated by an actuating connection from the operating shaft carried by the sewing machine bed.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a front view of a machine embodying the improvements.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the end of the supporting base and the sewing machine bed and cloth plate carried thereby.

Fig. 2a is a sectional view on theline 2a-2a of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the free end of the overhanging arm and the supporting base with the parts carried thereby.

Fig. 3a is a plan view of a portion of the machine adjacent the supporting standard.

hanging arm but does have 1929. Serial No. 358,378.

Fig. 4 is a view of the end of the machine carrying the needle bar.

Fig. 5 is a View of the other end of the machine with certain parts in section to show the actuating means for the puller feed.

The invention is directed to a sewing machine which is particularly adapted for stitching very large fabric sections. The machine includes a supporting base carrying a standard and an overhanging arm, which arm and base are very long as compared with the ordinary arm and base of a sewing machine. Means is provided for attaching the ordinary sewing machine bed to this supporting. base beneath the free end of the overhanging arm. The supporting bed does not have any over an operating shaft a looper mechanism and a feeding mechanism. Extending along the supporting base of the machine is the main actuating shaft. This shaft is in alignment with the operating shaft on the sewing machine bed and is attached thereto by a universal connection. Mounted at the outer end of the overhanging arm is a needle bar carrying the needle or needles and this is reciprocated by a needle lever pivoted to the overhanging arm and extending in the general direction of the arm. Mounted on the overhanging arm and extending along the same is a rock shaft which 18 connected to the needle lever for actuating the same. This rock shaft is in turn actuated by an eccentric strap cooperating with an eccentric on the main shaft.

Mounted on the sewing machine bed is the lower. roller of a puller feed and this roller is intermittently operated by an eccentric strap which cooperates with an eccentric on the operating shaft mounted on the bed. This produces a bed unit which may be attached to and removed from the supporting base of the machine and other bed units substituted therefor for a different character of stitching. Mounted on the overhanging arm is a presser roller which cooperates with the puller roller. The presser foot of the sewing machine is lifted by a rock shaft mounted at the outer end of the overhanging arm and this rock shaft is in turn oscillated by a flexi- Cil ble connection extending up through the standard and along the overhanging arm.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the machine includes a supporting base 1 to which is bolted a standard 2 having formed integral therewith an overhanging arm 3. At the free end of the overhanging arm is a needle head 4:111 which a needle bar 5 reciprocates. This standard and overhanging arm are preferably made of metal shaped so as to provide a structure which is U-shaped in cross section. The two members of the U- shaped arm are substantially vertical, thus forming a channel open at the top.

The needle bar 5, as shown in the drawings, is provided with three needles indicated at G. The needle bar is oscillated by means of a needle lever 7 which is pivoted at 8 to the overhanging arm 3 and connected by a link 9 to the needle bar. Extending along the overhanging arm is a rock shaft 10. Said rock shaft is mounted in suitable bearings located within the channel of the arm. At the left hand end of this rock shaft, as viewed in Fig. 1, there is an arm 11. This arm is connected by a link 12 to a ball stud on the end of the needle lever 7. When the rock shaft is oscillated the arm 11 will impart oscillations to the needle lever. There is a ball stud carried by the arm 11 to which the link 12 is connected and this permits freedom of movement so that the needle lever may be oscillated from the rock shaft. The rock shaft is in turn oscillated by an eccentric strap 13 attached to an arm 14 fixed to the rock shaft and cooperating with an eccentric on the main actuating shaft 15. The main actuating shaft 15 is mounted in suitable bearings carried by the standard 2 and by the supporting base 1.

lvfounted on the supporting base 1 underneath the free end of the overhanging arm is a sewing machine bed plate 16. Said bed plate is detachably connected to the supporting base by suitable bolts 17, 17 The sup- 1 '1 porting bed carries a cloth plate 18. Mounted in suitable bearings in this supporting bed is an operating shaft 19. The operating shaft 19 is attached to the main actuating shaft 15 by a universal connection 20.

The fabric is fed across the cloth plate 18 by a feed dog 21 carried by a feed bar 22. The feed bar is attached to a feed rocker 23 which is oscillated by an arm 24 connected to a crank on the end of the operating shaft 19. Mounted beneath the cloth plate and on the supporting bed is a looper 25 which cooperates with the three needles 6. This looper is oscillated by means of a rock lever 26 which in turn is operated by an eccentric strap 27 cooperating with an eccentric on the operating shaft 19. These parts are all of a well known character and have not been illustrated to any great extent in detail.

The essential feature consists in the fact that the sewing machine bed plate with the parts associated therewith assembled thereon as a unit may be attached to or detached from the supporting base 1. When in place the operating shaft of the sewing machine bed unit may be attached to the actuating shaft and this attachment is through a universal connection which takes care of any out of alignment of the two shafts.

Also mounted on the supporting base is a puller feed. This puller feed includes a feed roller 28 which is mounted on a shaft 29 j ournaled in suitable bearings carried by the supporting base. This shaft 29 is given an intermittent step movement by means of a clutch device 30 with which it is associated. This clutch device 30 includes an arm 31 having a slot 32 therein. An eccentric strap 33 is connected to a stud 3 1 adjustable in said slot 32. The eccentric strap cooperates with an eccentric 35 on the operating shaft 19. Thus it is that the lower roller of the puller feed is actuated from this operating shaft which in turn actuates the main feed dog and all the parts underneath the cloth plate.

Cooperating with the puller feed roller 28 is a presser roller 36 carried by a bar 37 mounted in suitable bearings carried by the overhanging arm. Said bar is depressed by a leaf spring 38 which may be raised by means of a hand lever 39.

Cooperating with the main feed dog 21 is a presser foot 40 carried by a presser bar 411. This presser bar is yieldingly depressed by a leaf spring 12. The presser bar may be raised by a hand lever 43 and may also be raised by means of a rock shaft a; carrying an arm 45 which extends beneath a projecting lug carried by the presser bar. The rock shaft has an upstanding arm 46 to which a flexible member 17 is connected. This flexible member 47 runs over a pulley 48 carried at the upper end of the standard and extends down through the standard and supporting base where it may be pulled on by means of a treadle or knee shift. The arm &6 and flex ible member 17 are disposed in the channel in the arm and standard and are, therefore readily accessible. The thread for the needles is led from the supply through suit- 1 able guides 49 and thence through tensions 50 mounted on the overhanging arm. The threads are led through suitable guides 51 carried by the needle lever and guides on the needle head which are of the usual character.

From the above it will be apparent that a sewing machine has been provied wherein there is a very long supporting base and very long overhanging arm giving an extended clearance space for the passage of large 7 fabric sections during stitching. The ordinary bed of a sewing machine with its usual operating units is detachably connected with the supporting base underneath the free end of the overhanging arm. These parts are all positively actuated by a main shaft extending lengthwise of the base so that there is little spring or lost motion incident to the actuation of these elements beneath the bed from a driving point of connection remote therefrom. The needle bar is also actuated by the usual needle lever mounted at the free end of the overhanging arm and a long rock shaft which in turn is oscillated by a connection at the standard and these connections extending along the long arm are of such a character that there is no lost motion or springing of the parts during the rapid v1- bration of the needle bar. It will be understood that the bed may be removed and another bed substituted therefor having a dif ferent character of feeding mechanism and looper mechanism if desired, and thus on the one supporting base and overhanging arm machines for producing stitches of different character may be built.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

11 A sewing machine including a supporting base, a standard carried thereby, an overhanging arm formed integral with said standard, a sewing machine bed plate detachably secured to said base beneath the free end of the overhanging arm and carrying an operating shaft, a looper mechanism and a feeding mechanism, a main shaft extending lengthwise of said supporting base in alignment with said operating shaft, a universal connection between said shafts, a needle mechanism mounted at the outer end of said overhanging arm, and means extending along said arm for actuating said needle mechanism.

2. A sewing machine including a supporting base, a standard carried thereby, an overhanging arm formed integral with said standard, a sewing machine bed plate detachably secured to said base beneath the free end of the overhanging arm and carrying an operating shaft, a looper mechanism and a feed ing mechanism, a main shaft extending lengthwise of said supporting base in alignment with said operating shaft, a universal connection between said shafts, a needle mechanism mounted at the outer end of said overhanging arm and including a needle lever extending lengthwise of said arm, a rock shaft extending lengthwise of said arm and connected to said needle lever, and means for oscillating said rock shaft from said main shaft.

3. A sewing machine including a supporting base, a standard carried thereby, an overhanging arm formed integral with said standard, a sewing machine bed plate detachably secured to said base beneath the free end of the overhanging arm and carrying an operating shaft, a looper mechanism and a feeding mechanism, a main shaft extending lengthwise of said supporting base in alignment withsaid operating shaft, a universal connection between said shafts, a needle mechanism mounted at the outer end of said overhanging arm, means extending along said arm for actuating said needle mechanism, a puller feed including a feed roller, an operating shaft therefor mounted in bearings carried by said supporting base, and means for intermittently rotating said feed roller from the operating shaft on said bed plate.

4. A sewing machine including a supporting base, a standard carried thereby, an overhanging arm formed integral with said standard, said standard and arm being U- shaped in cross section with the opening upward and with the side members thereof arranged vertically, a needle mechanism at the free end of said overhanging arm including a needle lever, actuating devices extending along the channel in the arm and connected to'said needle lever for oscillating the same.

5. A sewing machine including a supporting base, a standard carried thereby, an overhanging arm formed integral with said standard, said standard and arm being U-shaped in cross section with the side members thereof arranged vertically, a needle mechanism at V the free end of said overhanging arm including a needle lever, actuating devices extending along the channel in the arm and connected to said needle lever for oscillating the same, a presser bar at the free end of said overhanging arm, a presser fcot carried thereby, a rock shaft at the free end of the arm for lifting said presser bar, and a flexible member extending along the channel in said standard and arm for actuating said rock shaft.

6. A sewing machine including a supporting base, a standard carried thereby, an overhanging arm formed integral with said standard, a sewing machine bed plate detachably secured to said base beneath the free end of the overhanging arm and carrying an operating shaft, a looper mechanism and a feeding mechanism actuated by said operating shaft, a main shaft extending lengthwise of said supporting base in alignment with the operating shaft, a flexible connection for attaching the operating shaft to the main shaft, a puller feed including a feed roller, a shaft carrying said feed roller mounted on said supporting base, a clutch mechanism for in termittently rotating said shaft, and devices for actuating said clutch mechanism from said actuating shaft.

7. A sewing machine including a supporting base, a standard carried thereby, an overhanging arm formed integral with said standard, a. sewing machine bed plate detachably secured to said base beneath the free end of the overhanging arm and carrying an operating shaft, a. looper mechanism and a feeding mechanism actuated by said operating shaft, a main shaft extending lengthwise of said supporting base in alignment With the operating shaft, a flexible connection for attaching the operating shaft to the main shaft, a puller feed including a feed roller, a shaft carrying said feed roller mounted on said supporting base, a clutch mechanism for intermittently rotating said shaft, devices for actuating said clutch mechanism from said actuating shaft, a needle mechanism mounted.

at the outer end of said overhanging arm and including a needle lever, a rock shaft extending lengthwise of said arm, an arm carried by the rock shaft, a link connecting said arm to said needle lever, and means for oscillating said rock shaft from said main shaft.

8. A sewing machine including a supporting base, a standard carried thereby, an overhanging arm formed integral with said standard, a main shaft extending lengthwise of said supporting base, a looper mechanism and a feeding; mechanism supported by said base and located beyond the end of the main shaft, an operating shaft associated With the looper mechanism and feeding mechanism and disposed in alinement with the main actuating shaft, a universal connection between said shafts, a rock shaft extending lengthwise of said overhanging arm, means connected to the main actuating shaft for oscillating said rock shaft, a needle lever at the end of said overhanging arm and arranged for oscillation in a vertical plane parallel With the axis of the rock shaft, means for c0nnecting the end of the rock shaft With said needle lever for operating the same, and a needle bar mounted at the end of said overhanging arm and connected to said lever.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CHARLES S. THOMPSON. 

